


Goodbyes

by aquasock



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Pre-Canon, Spoilers, kind of? not exactly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 14:48:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16042649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquasock/pseuds/aquasock
Summary: On the morning the Moonshadow assassins leave for Katolis, Runaan has second thoughts.





	Goodbyes

**Author's Note:**

> people talk about how hard it is to write gay scenes in which both characters use the same pronoun, but one of the characters not having a name on top of that? i suffered.

It was early, the night dead silent. The moon sat high in the sky, painting the land of Xadia a soft blue amid the darkness. It sat alone, unaccompanied by clouds and only a handful of stars millions of miles away. It was cold. Lonely. 

Most elves were sleeping at this hour, but a few had stirred, prepared to depart from their land and uncertain of whether they would return. These few were assassins, journeying to the human land of Katolis to enact revenge for the murder of the dragon king. It was crucial that they set out quickly, as the road to Katolis was long and unforgiving. Silently, they said goodbye to their homes, their families, and the world they knew. 

Their leader, Runaan, was moving more slowly than usual. 

Moonlight shone on his bed, the pattern of intricate crescents and diamonds on the window making shadows along the duvet. He’d stared at those shapes before, allowed them to burn themselves into his mind as he sat in deep contemplation. Now was no different, although contemplation had turned to reluctance. 

Runaan gazed at the elf laying at his side, mesmerized by the bright gold markings along his face and arms contrasting smooth, dark skin, by the way his deep crimson hair was tousled against the pillow, by every inch of this man. The sight of his lover made him feel like a man in the desert who had just found an oasis. He was still learning how to turn and walk back into the desert.  


Slowly, Runaan lifted the comforter off himself and began to slide out of bed. He was almost on his feet when he felt a warm hand brush against his wrist. Turning, he saw his lover blearily staring up at him. “Runaan?” he whispered, confused. Runaan watched as realization dawned on him, worry lines spreading across his brow. “Is it time already, my moonlight?”

Giving a soft smile, Runaan sat back down upon the bed and allowed his fingers to wander into and comb through his lover’s hair. “I’m afraid so, my sunlight.”

“How long will you be gone?” he asked. 

“It depends upon the success of our mission,” Runaan admitted. “Ideally, only a few months.” The journey to Katolis was no quick one, nor would it be easy to return with the likelihood of humans following their trail. 

“I will miss you every second,” the Sunfire elf whispered, taking Runaan’s hand and pressing his knuckles to his lips. 

Runaan found himself silent, the words he so desperately wanted to not coming to him. He thought it funny that the hardest part of his job as an assassin was never taking life. It was heavy, and he did not take doing so lightly, but that was not the part that kept him awake at night. What kept him awake was how cold he felt when not warmed by the blazing skin of his lover sleeping in his arms. It was an icy ache that pried itself deep into his chest, freezing him over from the inside. No other pain could compare.

“And I you,” he breathed after a few moments had passed, faintly, brokenly. His lover hummed, letting go of his hand so that he could sit up, arms wrapping around Runaan and warm hands wandering to the small of his back. Their lips met, only for a second, the soft ghost of a kiss as the Sunfire elf leaned back to look Runaan in the eyes. 

“You know that I am proud of you, yes?” he asked, his thumb moving in slow circles. “What you are doing is difficult, but tremendously brave. Not many have the courage to make the difficult choices that justice demands.”

Runaan let out a shaky breath. “I do not feel brave,” he said, “not when I leave. Never when I leave you.”

The Sunfire elf smiled, softly, hands moving to cup the pendant tied around Runaan’s neck. “We will not truly be apart,” he reassured, reaching to pull his own pendant from under his shirt. He pressed the two of them together, and they began to glow a very soft purple. “I will be with you every step you take in Katolis. Not even thunder himself, sun rest his soul, could divide the two of us.”

Smiling softly, Runaan wrapped his hands around his lover’s. 

The Sunfire elf suddenly gasped, eyes widening. “I almost forgot!” he said, moving to fiddle with his own pendant as if using it as an example. “I’ve enchanted your pendant. If ever you need to hide, simply crush it and say ‘mystica arbora.’ This way, even while I may still be in Xadia, I can protect you.”

“I would hate to break it,” Runaan said, eyeing the necklace with a frown, “and hopefully I will not need to. But thank you.”

There was a knock on the door, jolting the two of them. Runaan glanced at the door, and then back at his lover who smiled. “Rayla?” he asked.

“Most likely,” Runaan said.

“It is time for you to go then,” he whispered. Runaan nodded. He wished it wasn’t. 

“I will be back soon,” Runaan said.

“I know you will.”

And with that, Runaan finally found the strength to untangle himself from his bed. Grabbing the bag that he had packed the night prior and a shirt, he left the bedroom, yelling at Rayla to hold on as she began to bang on the door. The Sunfire elf laughed for a moment until he was sure Runaan had gone. Slowly, his smile faded, and he clutched his own pendant.

He hoped he had done enough.

\---

A Sunfire elf watched as a lotus flower slowly sank to the bottom of a pool. 

He’d promised Runaan he would be with him every step of the way, but it seemed Runaan had gone the one place he could not follow.

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](https://laanced.tumblr.com/)


End file.
